Macross Plus
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| Macross Plus | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover of the original Macross Plus: Movie Edition |
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| マクロスプラス (Makurosu Purasu) |
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| Genre | Drama, Mecha, Military Sci Fi |
| OVA | |
| Director | Shoji Kawamori Shinichiro Watanabe (co-director) |
| Studio | Studio Nue Triangle Staff Bandai Visual |
| Episodes | 4 |
| Released | August 25, 1994 |
| Animated film | |
| Director | Shoji Kawamori Shinichiro Watanabe (co-director) |
| Composer | Yoko Kanno |
| Studio | Studio Nue Triangle Staff Bandai Visual Shochiku Film |
| Released | August 27, 1995 |
| Runtime | 115 minutes |
Macross Plus (マクロスプラス Makurosu Purasu?) is a four-episode anime OVA and theatrical movie in the Macross series. It was the first sequel to the original Macross television series that took place in the official timeline (Macross II was quickly retconned by series creator Shouji Kawamori). Plus was a groundbreaking combination of traditional cel and computer-generated animation at the time of its release, paving the way for the incorporation of more computer-generated imagery in Japanese Animation.
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[edit] Synopsis
Three decades after the great war between the humans and the Zentradi, the U.N. government is developing new technologies to use in their transforming fighter aircraft. Military test pilots and former childhood friends, loose cannon Isamu Alva Dyson and the Zentradi mixed race Guld Goa Bowman, are selected to each pilot a new aircraft (Shinsei Industries' YF-19 & General Galaxy's YF-21) for Project Super Nova, to choose the newest successor to the VF-11 Thunderbolt variable fighter which is currently still in use by the military forces. Their own personal grudges end up disrupting the tests, and begin to wreak havoc on the program.
Their rivalry heats up when a mutual friend, Myung Fang Lone, shows up. Myung was a childhood friend of both pilots, but the three of them had a falling out, and quickly grew apart. This is alluded to throughout the story, and evidence of the strained relationship between Myung and either of the two men is apparent, while their distaste for one another is obvious. Now when they meet again, Myung is the producer of Sharon Apple, the hottest entertainer in the galaxy, who just happens to be an AI hologram.
During a testing session, Guld and Isamu finally face off against each other- and an all out fight begins as each tries to best the other. Despite being in the middle of a testing area, they quickly proceed to tear the surrounding area to shreds in their fight to gain superiority over the other. Having turned off their communications equipment, both pilots fight using the test aircraft in a series of stunning dog-fight maneuvers before going into battroid form and finishing the fight on the ground. In the process, an "accidental" gun pod discharge injures Isamu and he is taken to the hospital, where he awakens to Myung standing watch over him. After returning to duty, a military tribunal questions Guld about their fight in the test area, but ultimately- the decision is left up to the Admiral in charge of the project. Chief Miller, the station commander of New Edwards Test Flight Facility reluctantly tells both pilots that their mission and the project has been scrubbed by the U.N. Spacey High Command- due to the completion of a newer, and previously unknown aircraft, the Ghost X-9 (ゴースト X-9)- an advanced stealth UCAV prototype, which was secretly being produced while two other prototypes (YF-19 and YF-21) were simultaneously being tested for Project Super Nova. With the Ghost X-9 completed, testing on the YF-19 and YF-21 was halted indefinitely, since the higher-ups believe that the new unmanned fighter is superior in every way.
Meanwhile, the AI Sharon Apple has developed a malevolent consciousness, and, during her concert quickly takes over both Ghost X-9 and Macross and hypnotizes her audience and Macross staff.
When Myung's life is in danger, Isamu and Guld have to set aside their differences and overcome the events from their childhood that drove them apart, and which caused them to hate each other. While Isamu goes after Sharon, who has taken over the SDF-1 Macross, Guld fights the X-9 and ultimately destroys it by removing the gravitational safety limiters on his aircraft, and matching the X-9's velocity/maneuverability until he achieves a target lock and shoots the X-9 down. However, removing the limiters allows Guld to achieve velocities with gravity exceeding human (even Zentradi-Human) limitations, which ultimately leads to his gruesome death as parts of his body implode from the pressure -- even as he locks on and fires the shot that kills the X-9.
While fighting the Macross, Isamu is hypnotized by Sharon's voice, and is left to crash to his death. At the last second, Myung's voice reaches him and brings him out back to consciousness. Dodging the Macross' fire, Isamu is able to destroy the central computer, effectively deleting Sharon's data.
The OVA ends as the sun rises over the Macross, with Myung waving to Isamu, who has survived the destruction of the Macross' computer.
[edit] Versions
[edit] Macross Plus OVA
The OVA version (マクロスプラス) consists of four episodes, each approximately 37-40 minutes in length. The Japanese voice cast is as follows:
- Isamu Alva Dyson - (Takumi Yamazaki)
- Guld Goa Bowman - (Unshou Ishizuka)
- Myung Fang Lone - (Rica Fukami)
- Lucy McMillan - (Megumi Hayashibara)
- Sharon Apple - (Mako Hyōdō)
- Marge Gueldoa - (Show Hayami)
- Millard Johnson - (Kenji Utsumi)
- Yang Neumann - (Tomohiro Nishimura)
- Kate Masseau - (Urara Takano)
[edit] Macross Plus: International Version
An English dub version (英語吹替版 日本語字幕付) was produced for the international market, it featured alternative music including an English version of the main theme Voices and a North American cast. This overseas version was also released in Japan with Japanese subtitles.
- Isamu Alva Dyson - (Bryan Cranston)
- Guld Goa Bowman - (Richard Epcar)
- Myung Fang Lone - (Anne Sherman)
- Lucy McMillan - (Bambi Darro)
- Sharon Apple - (Melora Harte)
- Marge Gueldoa - (Steven Blum)
- Millard Johnson - (Beau Billingslea - credited as John Billingslea)
- Yang Neumann - (Dan Woren)
[edit] Macross Plus: Movie Edition
The theatrical version (マクロスプラス MOVIE EDITION) consists of most of the footage from the original OVA's, along with approximately 20 minutes of new footage, including mature content, reedited from the initial script outline. For example, Lucy Macmillan and Isamu are clearly shown to have slept together and Guld's death is made more graphic. A new ending scene is also used instead of the original OVA's ending, in which Isamu and Myung stand on top of the Macross. Isamu then tells Myung that her singing helped him to win, ending the film with Myung singing "Voices". The scriptwriter Keiko Nobumoto originally wrote Macross Plus as a feature-length work before the script evolved into a four-volume video series. The movie edition returns the story to the initially-planned feature length.
[edit] Macross Plus: Game Edition
A video game adaptation of the original OVA (マクロスプラス -Game Edition-) was released in Japan only. This PlayStation 2000 release by Shueisha features some members of the original cast and staff, and includes parts of the original soundtrack.
This 3D home software is totally different from the vertical-scrolling Arcade shooter released in Japan by Banpresto back in 1997 as Macross Plus (マクロスプラス) which is loosely based on the franchise.
[edit] Production
Notable staff include:
- Shoji Kawamori as director and mechanical designer.
- Shinichiro Watanabe as co-director.
- Yoko Kanno as musical composer.
- Koji Morimoto as designer of the concert scene.
[edit] External links
- Macross Official Web Site (Japanese)
- Macross Compendium
- Macross Plus (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Macross Plus at the Internet Movie Database
Fan Sites:
- Macross Plus Area Seven
- Macross World
- Macross Nexus
- Macross Mecha Manual A website profiling the fictional vehicles of the Macross series
- MAHQ
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